Olivier REBUFA
Introduction
Olivier Rebufa was born in Dakar (Senegal) in 1958. He lives and works in Marseille, France. As a self-taught artist, he develops an interest in photography quite early on and learns the technique by assisting a fashion photographer. In 1987, he starts working on self-portraits. One day, he sees a bride Barbie doll in a shop window and has the idea of putting himself on a performance alongside this pop culture icon.
Each photograph requires weeks of preparation ; after the writing come all the stages of shooting and creating the photomontage : « First : a self portrait in a situation. Then I make a print of the size of the doll, which is around 30 centimeters. The print is cut and strengthened with wire. I build a decor and put my picture which becomes a puppet among the puppets. Then I photograph the scene. » He always uses black and white. One series after the other, in this tiny photographic theater, he invests the aseptic world of Barbie in order to disclose its limits.
Today, Olivier Rebufa continues investigating the photographic medium, by exploring other subjects such as circus, Africa or mythology, still accompanied by Barbie.
Biography
Solo exhibitions (selected)
2018
- Au royaume de Babok, Galerie Annie Gabrielli, Montpellier, France
2017
- Au royaume de Babok, atelier experimental, Frac Paca, Marseille, France
2015
- the kingdom one feet above the ground, Vanilla Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
- La transparence des possibles, galerie Annie Gabrielli, Montpellier, France
2014
- Principe inversé, Galerie du Tableau, Marseille, France
2010
- Kawat Kamul, French Alliance St Louis, Senegal
- Kawat Kamul, French Alliance Kaolack, Senegal
- Kawat Kamul, French Alliance Ziguinchor, Senegal
- Kawat Kamul, French Alliance Banjul, Gambia
2009
- Kawat Kamul, Galerie le Manège, French Institute of Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
- Kawat Kamul, complex L. S. Senghor Pikine/Dakar, Senegal
2008
- Kawat Kamul, "Les rencontres du sacré", Caroline Hospital, Frioul island, Marseille, France
- Mam Avatars, Galerie du Tableau, Marseille, France
2007
- Kawat Kamul, Centre d'art Le Moulin, la Valette du Var, France
- Once upon a time, Cercle d'Art Contemporain du Cailar, Le Cailar (Gard), France
- Once upon a time, Galerie Baudoin Lebon, Paris, France
2005
- Bimbeloterie, Town Hall of Villeneuve d?Ascq, France
2003
- La Saison des Hommes Dieu, Sollertis Gallery, Toulouse, France
2002
- Afrique, Artotheque, Villeurbanne, France
- Bimbeloterie, Artotheque, Villeurbanne, France
- Cirque, Theater of the Agora, Evry, France
- Bimbeloterie, Theater of the Agora, Evry, France
2001
- Une agora pour 10 agora, E.R.O.A., School of Fine Arts, Tourcoing, France
- Arthoteque of Miramas, France
- House of Book, Sound and Image, Villeurbanne, France
- Regards croisés « Hongrie-Provence », Aix-en-Provence, France
2000
- Mois de l?Image, Dieppe, France
- La Galerie du Tableau, Marseille, France
1999
- Circus, baudoin lebon, Paris, France
1998
- Circus, International Center of Visual Arts, Cargo, Marseille, France
1997
- The 9th photographic meetings of Château-Arnoux (guest of honour), France
- Jane Corkin Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- Lecture, annexe of the School of Fine Arts, Marseille, France
1996
- Inhérence, Passage de l?Art, Marseille, France
- Bimbeloterie, Municipal Gallery, Moulin Ardouvin, La-Valette-du-Var, France
1995
- Bimbeloterie, House of International Meetings of Photography, Arles, France
- Bimbeloterie, conférence, Jules Verne Center, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
1994
- Projections in public place, International Meetings of Photography, Arles, France
1992
- Reflex, Galerie du Tableau, Marseille, France
1991
- Université UCLA, GO Gallery, California, USA
- Radiographie, Galerie du Tableau, Marseille, France
- Autoportraits, REG Gallery, Saint-Tropez, France
1990
- International Biennal of the Photography, Porte Avion Gallery, Museum of Marseille, France
Group exhibitions (selected)
2018
- Sa Muse, Musée Fondation Regards de Provence, Marseille, France
2017
- Barbie, French Institute of Séoul, Korea
- Festival International Country Photography de Huangshan, Nanping, China
- Paris-Photo, with Galerie Baudoin Lebon, Paris, France
2016
- Les photaumnales 2016. LOVE STORIES Paul Ardenne, curator, Barbara Polla, associate curator
- Barbie, Les arts décoratifs, Paris Exposition
- Poupées et Tabous, Maison de la culture de Namur, Belgium
2015
- Fotofever, stand Galerie Annie Gabrielli, Paris, France
- Atteinte à la beauté, de Musexpo, Neuilly-sur-Marne, France
2014
- Ateliers portes ouvertes, Voeux d'Artistes, Marseille, France
- Atteinte à la beauté, de Musexpo, Villepinte, Villetaneuse, France
- Bison caravan, Therrafino, archangelkade 23, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Corps Accord, Fondation Carzou, diffusion RAC PACA, Manosque, France
2013
- Vertiges, galerie de l'UP 13 Marseille, France
- L'esprit du lieu, espace d'art le Moulin, La Valette du Var, France
- Zarbie Doll, Galerie Andiamo, Marseille, France
2012
- Le cheval dans tous ses états, Galerie Tarquinia, Trouville-sur-Mer, France
- Des jouets et des hommes, Helsinki Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
- Antenumérique, Procédés Alternatifs, Atelier TOZF, Paris, France
2008
- First Mediterranean Symposium of environemental Art; Gergeri, Crete, Greece
- Marseille Artistes Associés, Coll. Frac Paca, Vieille Charité, Marseille, France
2007
- Collection Frac Paca, Galerie d'Ornano, Sisteron, France
2006
- C'est humain, diffusion FRAC PACA, Atelier d'Art F. Bourgeois, Apt, France
- VigNe, MIAM & Cercle d'Art Contemporain du Cailar, le Cailar, Gard, France
- Revisitation à Ste Réparate, Galerie Ste Réparate, Nice, France
2005
- Tauromachie, International Meetings of Photography, Ateliers Actes Sud, Arles, France
- Guys N Dolls, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Brighton, UK
- Masques sacrés, Biennal of Bamako, Mali
2004
- Les Poupées, Halle Saint-Pierre, Paris
- En piste !, Photographic center of Ile-de-France, Pontault-Combault, France
- Vagues, Malraux Museum, Le Havre, France
2003
- Moi je(ux), Peiresc Center, Toulon, France
- Jouez le jouet, Circle of Contemporary Art of Cailar, Gard, France
- L?art pour vingt balles, Grand Bain Douche de la Plaine Gallery, Marseille, France
- Filles du Calvaire Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
2002
- Le cirque en majesté, Abbey of Montmajour, Arles, France
- Jours de cirque, Forum Grimaldi, Monaco
- Fabrications ? poétiques ? ?, Photographic meetings of Solignac, France
- Le taureau camarguais et contemporain, Gallery of the Arènes, Nîmes, France
- Barbie-Lolita-Lara Croft, Institut Nederland Foto, Rotherdam, The Netherlands
- Récits, Abbaye Saint André, Center of Contemporary Art, Meymac, France
2001
- Séquences d?images, FRAC PACA, Saint Charles High School, Marseille, France
- Une agora pour 10 agora, E.R.O.A., Tourcoing, France
- Beau fixe, Photographic Center of Ile-de-France, Pontault-Combault, France
- Fiest?Art, agnès b., Marseille, France
- Afrique, Artotheque, Villeurbanne, France
- Bimbeloterie, Artotheque, Villeurbanne, France
2000
- Comme par enchantement, Center of Contemporary Art, Saint-Priest, France
- Ubiquité, Le Carré Amelot, La Rochelle, France
- Art Basel, with baudoin lebon, Basel, Switzerland
- Le Kitsch, Mois de l?Image, Dieppe, France
- Désirs de rivage, International Biennal of maritime Photography, Musée National de la Marie, Paris, France
1999
- L?art amuse-t-il la galerie ?, Aubagne, France
- Mutations singulières, FRAC PACA, Béziers, France
- Tendances, Center of Contemporary Art, Meymac, France
- Paris Photo, with baudoin lebon, Paris, France
- L?enfance de l?art, Pilzer Gallery, Paris, France
1998
- AIPAD, with baudoin lebon, New York, USA
- ARCO, Madrid, Spain
- Cinquantenaire de TATI, Paris, Marseille, France
- Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Art Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
- Le Kitch dans l?art contemporain, FRAC Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France
- Art Basel, with baudoin lebon, Basel, Switzerland
1997
Dérives photographiques, 3bisF ? lieu d?art contemporain, Aix-en-Provence, France
- Les artistes ont la pigne, La-Valette-du-Var, France
- Paris Photo, with baudoin lebon, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France
1996
- AIPAD, with baudoin lebon, New York, USA
- Art Basel, with baudoin lebon, Basel, Switzerland
- Midi Pile, Exhibition of Montrouge, France
- Athanor Gallery, Marseille, France
- Vingt ans trop tôt, vingt ans trop tard, baudoin lebon, Paris, France
- Culture et entreprise, Palace of Arts, Marseille, France
1995
- A quoi jouent-ils ?, Chapel of Méjean, Arles, France
- Oh ! féminin, Athanor Gallery, Marseille, France
- Bimbeloterie, Vacances Bleues Gallery, Marseille, France
- Le choix des galeries, International Meetings of Photography, with baudoin lebon, Arles, France
- L?Art en Seyne, La-Seyne-sur-Mer, France
1994
- Périphotographie, 3bisF ? lieu d?art contemporain, Aix-en-Provence, France
- Convoi Bagarre, Toulon, Hyères, La-Seyne-sur-Mer, Le Brusq, France
1992
- Three little porcellini, Municipal Gallery, Tower of King Roy René, Marseille, France
1991
- Découvertes, with Porte Avion Gallery, Grand Palais, Paris, France
1989
- Artjonction 89, with Porte Avion Gallery, Nice, France
1988
- 100 autoportraits, 10 figures, Marseille, Lyon, Paris, France
1985
- 10 photographes, 100 photographies, Vieux Port Gallery, Marseille, France
texts
- National Found of Contemporary Art (FNAC), Paris, France
- Maison de la Faïence, Desvres, France
- European House of Photography, Paris, France
- Regional Fund of Contemporary Art (FRAC) Provence-Alpes-Côte-D?azur, France
- General management of Cultural Affairs, Marseille, France
- Bank and Savings Bank of Luxembourg
- Artothèque of Vitré, France
- Artothèque of Villeurbanne, France
- Artothèque of Miramas, France
- Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie, Arles, France
- Espace Jules Verne, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
- Present in private collections (France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Canada, USA)
Exhibitions
Patrick BAILLY-MAITRE-GRAND / Alizée BAUER / Lucien Clergue / Lynn DAVIS / Andreas Gursky / Mimmo JODICE / Peter KNAPP / Gustave LE GRAY / Maya MERCER / Lisette MODEL / Mihail MOLDOVEANU / Olivier REBUFA / Jan SCHLEGEL / Michel SZULC-KRZYZANOWSKI / Tomas VAN HOUTRYVE / Joel-Peter WITKIN